RECAP: The Hulk, Namor, Doctor Strange and the Valkyrie are
trapped in an energy globe created by Nebulon (aka. the Celestial Man) to
contain the superhero team, after he witnessed the defeat of his cohorts, the
Squadron Sinister, in their most recent battle versus the Defenders. Having just
"bought" the planet Earth from it's "previous owners" (Whizzer, Hyperion and Dr.
Spectrum) Nebulon wishes to put the entire planet under water to create a more
useful environment and to do so, he planned on melting the polar ice caps.
Despite thwarting the Celestial Man's plans, the Defenders are now at the mercy
of Nebulon as he decides their fate...

Doctor Strange, pounding on the inner aspect of
his transparent prison, is the first to speak up and demand the Defenders
immediate release or else face the consequences. Nebulon however, is somewhat
perturbed at the inconvenience caused by Earth's heroes in his attempt to take
possession of the planet. He raises his silver gloved hand and prepares to
eliminate the Defenders when suddenly, a strained voice urges Nebulon to stay
his sentence. The Celestial Man turns to see Hyperion regaining his feet and he
asks the Squadron member why he should delay his plans further. As Dr. Spectrum
and Whizzer recover, Hyperion explains that killing them now would mean they
would die without knowing why they wasted their lives and what their failure
means to the future of their world. The red and yellow caped villain then
explains why he cares little for the Earth...

(ASIDE: Hyperion's world was an atom that was the first atom
to be split by a man-made cyclotron (huh!....imagine the chances of THAT!).
Somehow, Hyperion survived, drifting unconscious in the atomic void until one
day he was awakened and enlarged by the games-playing Grand-Master! Once
human-size, he was set to battle Thor in a contest to determine the fate of the
Earth (see Avengers
#70). At first, his atomic powers played
havoc with the Asgardian, but in the end Thor's mystic hammer Mjolnir was
brought into play. Thor used it to whirl around Hyperion at a super-speed which
created an electrically charged vortex that somehow reversed Hyperion's atomic
enlargement and imprisoned him in a bubble of glazed glass. There he remained
until the Grand-Master departed the Earth, when the super-powerful backwash of
his passing sucked Hyperion into the black void of space. For many months he
drifted in interstellar emptiness helpless to free himself, hoping for death to
release him of his private hell. But his hopes were answered in a far less
drastic fashion. A passing starcraft detected his presence and pulled his
globe-prison into the ship. Once inside, he met Nebulon who released him from
the sphere and subsequently, Hyperion was restored to human-size. They talked
for hours and he discovered that Nebulon is from a race of interstellar
geologists who survey the cosmos in search of various materials needed to insure
his world's continued existence. However, Nebulon has been singularly unsuccessful in discovering a mineral rich planet and he is about to fall from
grace amongst his race. Hyperion, excited by the mere thought of it, tells
Nebulon about a certain planet he knows of and, in the end, "sells" Nebulon the
Earth in exchange for the vengeance he so deeply craved END OF ASIDE).

After hearing this tale, Doctor Strange relates
to Hyperion that he is insane and that he will also be destroyed if Nebulon's
plans come to fruition. However, Hyperion explains that the Celestial Man will
transport them to one of countless other dimensions. Nighthawk, upon hearing
this, blows his cool and pounds on the globe's walls telling Hyperion that he
should be transported under a rock! Nebulon, then uses this outburst to remove
Nighthawk from his sphere and transports him to the globe occupied by the
Defenders, to share their fate since he shares their views.

Having the Defenders' fate now settled, Whizzer
approaches Hyperion and demands that he be permitted to "make them bleed". The
speedster grabs Hyperion's cape in upset when the Squadron's leader says no,
which results in Whizzer getting heavily backhanded into a wall of ice and sent
into near unconsciousness. Hyperion then turns to Nebulon, the Celestial Man and
asks that the Defenders be thrown into space and set adrift helplessly in their
globe prison, suffering as he most recently had suffered. Nebulon acts swiftly
and with a wave of his hand, the globe is sent accelerating upwards into the
sky. With the heroes no longer a concern, and while the Whizzer shakes the
cobwebs out of his head, the remaining squads men get back to work on their
plan...melting the polar icecaps by nightfall.

As the Defenders' sphere leaves the Earth's
atmosphere, the heroes inside can be seen pounding uselessly to break the energy
globe. Their wasted efforts are noted by Nighthawk who then suggests that the
reason they may be failing is that they are not combining their forces. They
should be focusing their powers on a single spot. Doctor Strange regards
Nighthawk with some admiration and agrees that THAT would be the best approach.
The team then prepares themselves and on Strange's word, they strike a common
point on the sphere with successful results *BWOOM!* their prison shatters! The
Defenders, free from the confines of the globe, now begin to fall back to the
Earth. However, Valkyrie is caught by Namor and Doctor Strange manages to snare
the Hulk and Nighthawk with a beam of energy from his chest amulet. The magician
also manages to create a mystic aura around the team as they make their descent,
supplying them with oxygen. The Defenders return to the planet's surface, intent
on battle!

Meanwhile, the Squadron Sinister, with Nebulon
standing by patiently, are at task melting the icecaps with the laser cannon
designed by Nighthawk. As he works the laser's controls, Doctor Spectrum is
lamenting the loss of his comrade but Whizzer is more resigned that Nighthawk
had his chance. Suddenly, a whooshing sound from behind the squadsmen draws
their attention to the return of the Defenders! Nebulon notices their arrival
and is annoyed that his time schedule is being affected. He commands the
Squardon to keep at their tasks while he deals with the superheroes. The
Celestial Man sends a beam of blinding white energy out of his left hand which
misses the Hulk and is absorbed by a mound of snow and ice. While the Hulk
scoffs at Nebulon's shody marksmenship, it quickly becomes apparent that Nebulon
had no intention of striking the Hulk with the ray when a massive creature of
ice and snow rises from the spot of contact. The frosty giant easily hammers the
unprepared Hulk *POW!* with a punch of one icy fist. Namor, meanwhile flies at
top speed and slams into the ice creature's chest sending the giant onto its
side. While the monster writhes in seeming agony, Nighthawk attacks but he is
backhanded away easily, like an annoying gnat. Valkyrie then uses her blade to
deftly slice the ice creature's left arm off with surgical percision but then
watches in awe as the giant regenerates another arm in mere seconds! The
Valkyrie then narrowly misses a massive punch from this new arm as she gaped in amazement
at her opponent's powers. The blow however, hit the ice wall which
supported her and she tumbles unharmed to the snow below. Doctor Strange then
diverts the creature attention with a mystic bolt of energy into the monster's
face, while she scrambles to safety.

The Hulk meantime is royally ticked at being
attacked by the ice-man and attacks the monster with a vengeance. With one
powerful wallop he shatters the frosty giant's left leg and then picks up the
ice creature and hurls the frigid foe directly into the laser beam's path with
explosive results! His snow monster destroyed, Nebulon reappraises his enemy
with a troubled look. The Squadron meanwhile, aches at the chance to join the
fray but are again ordered to remain at their posts and complete the task they
are committed to. The Defenders face Nebulon who has decided to handle his
antagonists personally. The Hulk advances, intent on showing the Celestial Man
just who the most powerful one in attendance is. Nebulon marvels as the Hulk
takes a blast of energy directly in the chest and keeps coming. Surprised at
this, Nebulon doubles his efforts and use blasts from both arms against the Hulk
which finally sends the green behemoth flying backwards.

Nighthawk and the Valkyrie then advance on
Nebulon from either side. The Celestial Man sends a blast at Nighthawk but
misses the agile hero who deftly ducks the blast. As the two Defenders continue
their charge, suddenly Nebulon raises his arms and the air shimmers around him
for an instant and when it clears, Nighthawk and Valkyrie find themselves
rushing at each other. The Celestial Man's powers seem boundless and vast as he
transposes his point in the universe for the Valkyries. The two heroes then
collide in a bone-crunching *THWUMP!* Doctor Strange exclaims that a frontal
attack is useless and that the Defenders must attack from all sides at once.
But, as the felled Defenders regain their feet, Nebulon blasts Namor and
Valkyrie to their knees with hand-spawned energy bolts. Suddenly, Doctor Strange
hits Nebulon directly in the face with a Bolt of Bedevilment that knocks the
Celestial Man off balance. The golden alien manages to counter this attack with
a blast of his own, striking both the Hulk and Strange but as he staggers to his
feet, he is knocked back heavily again with a resounding punch in the head by
Namor. Reeling from the Sub-Mariner's blows, Nebulon stumbles, then sinks to his
knees beneath a renewed assault from the Master of the Mystic Arts. Strange
blasts mystic energy at the fallen alien who writhes under the attack.

His enemy visibly in pain, Strange stops the
attack. Nebulon sprawls forward on the ice, his god-like form seeming to shimmer
and then blur. The Defenders hear his utterances about how close he was to
success and they back off the beaten alien. Meanwhile, the Squadron Sinister
rushes to aid their fallen companion but Nebulon orders them to stand clear. The
ice field is bathed in a golden light as the form of Nebulon continues to blur
and glow. The flickering figure of Nebulon emits a final burst of brilliance and
then coalesces into a form that holds both the Squadron Sinister and the
Defenders speechless. For it is a form that does not even begin to resemble the
god-like being who had confronted them mere moments before. In fact, Nebulon's
true form does not even resemble anything remotely human! Nebulon is a creature
that seems the very essence of every misbegotten monstrosity to ever slither
through a maniac's nightmare. A slavering, slime-caked, unnervingly repulsive
obscenity that speaks in a hauntingly familiar voice. Nebulon is a massive
green-yellow beast with a long spiny dorsal fin and six many-suction cupped
arms. His two bulbous red eyes are separated by two slimy antennae and his
rasp-like mouth drips a foul liquid.

The Squadron members fall back, obviously
unnerved by this sudden disillusion. Nebulon begins to explain that he created
the illusion of the Celestial Man to be more easily accepted by our race. His
own race is aquatic by nature which explains why he had planned on inundating
our world with water before laying claim to it. In his humanoid form, he may
exist for extended periods out of water but this requires concentration. As the
heroes and villains alike watch in awe, Nebulon's form again begins to shift and
the vague outline of the Celstial Man within begins to coalesce.

However, as the gathering watches the
transformation, Nighthawk jumps to the laser cannon and re-directs the beam at
Nebulon. Struck by the laser blast, Nebulon's concentration is again broken,
thwarting his attempt at regaining human form. The mucus dripping alien
retaliates with a blast form one suction cupped-ladened tentacle but the laser
cannon power whines on. Power feeding power, building in intensity, until the
creature known as Nebulon begins to pulse as well. Nebulon screams in agony
pleading them to stop the power surge. For an instant, the Squadron Sinister
stands its ground, unsure of what to do. Then, as one, they realize their alien
companion is beyond their help and they turn to run. But, their sudden
realization has come just the barest fraction of an instant too late for the
frigid ground beneath the afflicted Celestial Man is abruptly bathed in an
unnatural light and the barren patch of land heaves upwards spewing great chunks
of ice into the brittle sky. When the gleaming shards of ice settle back to the
Earth once more, there remains but a crater. Nighthawk, watching from the top of
the laser cannon, gathers that Nebulon must have imploded from the power surge
and taken the Squadron Sinister with him!

Suddenly, the laser cannon itself begins to
shudder as the gun's wiring begins to short-out, most likely the result of
Nebulon's retaliatory ray blasts. Valkyrie yells out a warning to Nighthawk but
as he prepares himself to jump from the machine, it explodes violently! As the
sound of the destructive blast echos throughout the desolate waste, where
jutting towers of soulless ice do little to absorb the sound, anguished voices
can be heard as well. The Defenders rush to the side of their fallen saviour
hoping against all hope that their worst fears have not become realized.
Nighthawk is found lying on his back amongst the wreckage of the laser cannon,
unmoving. Doctor Strange then reaches to his neck and feels for a pulse.
Valkyrie asks the question on all the Defenders' minds..."Is he dead?" Strange
indicates that he is not but will be shortly, and there is nothing that he can
do...unless...

Doctor Strange, tells the Defenders that they
surely owe Nighthawk their lives and he suggests that it would be fitting if
they were to sacrifice a small part of their lives to save his. The group
silently agrees as Doctor Strange explains the process which, allow possibly
dangerous, is the least they could offer the newest Defender. The group gathers
around the fallen hero and holds hands. Even the Hulk, slow-witted though he may
be, understands the importance of concentrating for this task. Concentration is
the key, explains Strange, to let part of yourself flow into him and then flow
into Nighthawk. It is difficult for the Hulk but he does his best to emulate his
friends as they clasp hands and focus their minds. Suddenly, there is a glow
from the mystic Eye of Agamotto which bathes the broken and bleeding Nighthawk
in a light that is not a light but rather, the collected energies of four
determined people's souls. This gathered life force spilling across the
Nighthawk's pain-wracked face cleanses him, heals him and fills him with the
fires of life once more! He awakes and asks the questions one would expect to
hear from one who nearly died...Where am I? What happened!

After Strange explains to Nighthawk what occurred, it becomes apparent to Nighthawk that his life is sustained by the
collective life forces of the Defenders. The hero takes a moment to allow that
fact to sink in, and then turns to Doctor Strange to ask him, despite his past
association with the Squadron Sinister, if he could be permitted to join the
Defenders full-time. Strange is about to point out to Nighthawk about the
loosely-knit nature of the Defenders when Namor interrupts with the news that
Nighthawk can replace him. The Sub-Mariner reminds the magician that he was
brought here against his will and that no man controls the actions of the Prince
of Atlantis. Namor flies away, leaving the team a reminder that the next time
they meet may not be as allies.

The Hulk scratches his head wondering why the
Fish-Man is going away angry but shrugs it off and places his arm around the
shoulders of his new friend and the newest Defender, Nighthawk. Val and Strange
also welcome him to the team and Nighthawk relates that he hopes he never gives
them any cause to regret their decision.